THE paedo radio legend outed by John Simpson has been named as Derek McCulloch — the voice of kiddies’ favourite Larry the Lamb.
The Sun revealed how Simpson spoke about a sex abuser he called ‘Uncle Dick’, who was famous from the 1930s to the 1960s.
He was gagged from revealing the perv’s identity — but the London Review of Books yesterday named McCulloch.
The star, who died in 1967, was Uncle Mac in BBC Radio’s Children’s Favourites and Children’s Hour, and played Larry in Toytown.
Simpson uncovered the presenter’s depravity while researching his obituary. An unnamed woman branded him “an evil old bastard”.
The respected London Review of Books said: “The Corporation turned a blind eye, just as it later would with Savile.
“When Simpson told the woman’s remarks to his boss the man rounded on him. The boss then rewrote Simpson’s copy; McCulloch, the obituary now said, ‘had a wonderful way with children’.” The BBC said the info would be investigated.
Background and life
Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch (18 November 1897 – 1 June 1967) was a BBC Radio presenter and producer, who became known as “Uncle Mac” in Children’s Favourites and Children’s Hour, and “Larry the Lamb” in Toytown. He served as the head of children’s broadcasting for the BBC from 1933 until 1951
He joined the BBC in 1926 as an announcer. He was the commentator on the first radio broadcast of the FA Cup Final in 1927. He became second in command on Children’s Hour in 1931 and was placed in charge of it in 1933. The programme included talks, plays, music and drama serials. He was appointed head of children’s broadcasting in 1933, serving in that position until 1951. He regarded the department as a microcosm of all broadcasting, stating: “Nothing but the best is good enough for children … our wish is to stimulate their imaginations, direct their reading, encourage their various interests, widen their outlook and inculcate the Christian virtues of love of God and their neighbours.” In 1938 he lost a leg as the result of a road accident, and thereafter remained in constant pain.
He became the children’s editor for the News Chronicle. In 1954 he returned to the BBC, to present a BBC music request programme for children, Children’s Favourites, on Saturday mornings. The programme was dropped in 1964, despite protests and questions in parliament, but it was popular, and McCulloch continued to present it until 1965. After his retirement it became Junior Choice, hosted by Ed Stewart, when the BBC Light Programme was replaced byRadio 1 and Radio 2 in 1967.
In 1939 the audience for Children’s Hour reached four million. His sign-off line, “Goodnight children, everywhere,” became more poignant after the evacuation of many children from their homes at the start of the Second World War. He resigned from the BBC in 1950 due to ill health.
He was awarded an OBE in 1964. He died at Haywards Heath on 1 June 1967.
BBC indicated that as part of the investigation into the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse allegations they would be looking into claims that McCulloch had also sexually assaulted children while he worked for the BBC
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